All Questions
112 questions
44
votes
10
answers
11k
views
The finite subgroups of SL(2,C)
Books can be written about the finite subgroups of $\mathrm{SL}(2,\mathbb C)$ (and their immediate family, like the polyhedral groups...) I am about to start writing notes for a short course about ...
- 47.3k
35
votes
6
answers
5k
views
Character-free proof that Frobenius kernel is a normal subgroup?
The question is in the title, but here is some background/reminders:
A subgroup $H\neq\{1\}$ of a finite group $G$ is called a Frobenius complement if $H\cap H^g = \{1\}$ for all $g\in G\backslash H$....
- 13k
21
votes
2
answers
2k
views
A new combinatorial property for the character table of a finite group?
Let $G$ be a finite group and $\Lambda = (\lambda_{i,j})$ its character table with $\lambda_{i,1}$ the degree of the ith character.
Consider the following combinatorial property of $\Lambda$: for ...
19
votes
2
answers
1k
views
Reference request for Plancherel measure
I need a good reference for the basic definitions of the dual of locally compact group (not necessarily abelian), its natural topology, $\sigma$-algebra, and the Plancherel measure on it (when they ...
- 26k
18
votes
2
answers
1k
views
Has anyone seen this construction of the Weil representation of $\mathrm{Sp}_{2k}(\mathbb{F}_p)$?
$\def\FF{\mathbb{F}}\def\CC{\mathbb{C}}\def\QQ{\mathbb{Q}}\def\Sp{\text{Sp}}\def\SL{\text{SL}}\def\GL{\text{GL}}\def\PGL{\text{PGL}}$Let $p$ be an odd prime. The Weil representation is a $p^k$-...
- 156k
17
votes
5
answers
3k
views
Reference for this theorem in representation theory?
Let $G$ be a finite group and $\chi$ be an irreducible character of
$G$ (characteristic zero algebraically closed base field). If $H$ is
the kernel of $\chi$ then the irreducible representations of $G/...
- 887
16
votes
2
answers
818
views
Decomposing $(\mathbb C^n)^{\otimes m}$ as a representation of $S_n\times S_m$
$V=\mathbb C^n$ is a $\mathbb CS_n$-module, where $S_n$ is the symmetric group of degree $n$, via the representation sending a permutation to the corresponding permutation matrix. The tensor power $V^...
- 38.6k
16
votes
3
answers
1k
views
Conjectures in the representation theory of the symmetric group
Question: What are current open conjectures about the representation theory of the symmetric group?
I am interested mostly in the characteristic 0 case, but conjectures for the modular case can also ...
- 26.5k
16
votes
2
answers
992
views
Maximal number of maximal subgroups
Let $G$ be a finite group. I want to find an upper bound on the number of the maximal subgroups. My questions is does it possible to prove that the number of maximal subgroups of any finite group $G$ ...
- 2,179
16
votes
1
answer
408
views
Is there a relationship between Broué's abelian defect group conjecture and Alperin's weight conjecture?
Let $G$ be a finite group, let $k$ be a large enough field of characteristic $p>0$. Let $p\mid |G|$.
Broué's abelian defect group conjecture states the following:
Let $B$ be a block of $kG$ with
...
- 1,755
15
votes
4
answers
869
views
What is known about ordinary character values at involutions?
Let $G$ be a finite group and let $\chi$ be the character of an irreducible complex representation $\rho$ of $G$ on $V$.
Let $x$ be an involution in $G$.
I'd like to ask the following
Question 1:
...
- 1,755
13
votes
1
answer
358
views
Cartography of the duals of GL, PGL, SL, etc
A short version of this question could be
What are the duals of $PGL(2,\mathbf{Q}_p)$, $PGL(2,\mathbf{R})$ and $PGL(2,\mathbf{C})$?
I should obviously add some precisions.
there are different ...
- 5,424
12
votes
2
answers
926
views
Finite groups with integral character table
The character table of a finite group will be called integral if all its entries are integers. There are $11$ such groups up to order $16$, namely $C_1$, $C_2$, $C_2^2$, $S_3$, $D_8$, $Q_8$, $C_2^3$, $...
12
votes
1
answer
744
views
Is the following construction of the 0-Hecke monoid (well) known?
Let W be a Coxeter group with Coxeter generators S. The corresponding 0-Hecke monoid H(W) has generating set S, the braid relations of W and the relations that each element of S is an idempotent. If ...
- 38.6k
12
votes
1
answer
377
views
To what extent can one prescribe degrees of irreducible representations of a group?
Suppose one starts with an (infinite) multiset of positive integers $\mathcal{A} = \{a_i\}_{i\geq 0}$ such that:
$1=a_0\leq a_1\leq a_2\leq\ldots$
Can one always find a (necessarily infinite) group $...
- 5,191
11
votes
4
answers
2k
views
Textbook source for finite group properties deducible from character table?
Various questions have been posted on MO (some answered, some not) involving the character table of a finite group $G$ over a splitting field such as $\mathbb{C}$ of characteristic 0. My basic ...
- 52.9k
11
votes
3
answers
3k
views
Reference request for projective representations of finite groups over a non-problematic field
I would like to get a reference where I can learn about the theory of projective representations of finite groups over the complex numbers (or over any field K such that the order of the given group ...
- 2,406
11
votes
1
answer
688
views
Unitary representations of finite groups over finite fields
I would like to learn the basic theory of unitary representations of finite groups over finite fields.
Here, the unitary group $\operatorname{GU}(n,\mathbb{F}_{q^2})$ consists of all invertible ...
- 111
10
votes
3
answers
1k
views
Subgroups of GL_2 over a finite field
I've come across the phrase "by the classification of subgroups of $GL_2(F_q)$" in multiple papers, but never with a reference. Here $F_q$ is a finite field of size $q$. Does anyone know a good ...
- 101
10
votes
1
answer
377
views
Fixed set of order p automorphism of Bruhat-Tits tree
I would like to know the structure of the fixed set of an order $p$ automorphism [Edit: induced by a matrix in $GL_2(K)$] on the Bruhat-Tits tree for a p-adic field $K$, specifically in the case where ...
- 17.4k
10
votes
1
answer
257
views
Low dimensional representations of $SL_n(\mathbb{Z}/p^\ell \mathbb{Z})$
When $\ell = 1$ I know that the smallest non-trivial irreducible complex representations of $SL_n(\mathbb{Z}/p\mathbb{Z})$ has dimension $\frac{p^n - 1}{p-1} - 1$ (with maybe some exceptions for ...
- 2,242
9
votes
5
answers
2k
views
A catalog of faithful representations of finite groups?
I want a reference that catalogs the smallest-dimensional faithful representation of every noteworthy finite group. Specifically, I want representations on $\mathbb{R}^n$ and $\mathbb{C}^n$.
Where ...
- 7,633
9
votes
2
answers
2k
views
alternating and symmetric powers of the standard representation of the symmetric group
Let $n \geq 7$ and $V = \mathbb{C}^n$ be the standard representation for $S_{n+1}$, the symmetric group of cardinal $(n+1)!$
Let $k$ be an integer such that $2 \leq k \leq n$. Is it true or false ...
- 7,300
9
votes
3
answers
435
views
How do small central extensions drop the dimension of a faithful representation?
Apologies in advance that this is a very soft question. I might be talking complete nonsense. But I hope I am talking about something that has even been studied...
I am interested in the phenomenon ...
- 2,851
9
votes
1
answer
464
views
Branching Rule for alternating groups
Let $A_n$ be the alternating group of degree $n$. What is the branching rule for the subgroup $A_{n-1}\subset A_n$, i.e., the structure of the restriction of ordinary irreducible representations of $...
- 377
9
votes
2
answers
485
views
Reference for restriction of a simple module over a splitting field to a smaller field?
This is mainly a request for a straightforward reference (preferably at textbook level). The question comes up while responding to a question raised by non-specialists in finite group representations....
- 52.9k
9
votes
2
answers
772
views
Characters of orthogonal groups as symmetric functions
This question was asked on MSE some time ago, here, but got no attention.
The Schur functions are characters of irreps of the unitary group, $s_\lambda(U)=Tr(R_\lambda(U))$. They are symmetric ...
- 2,552
9
votes
1
answer
460
views
Connections between linear representations and permutation representations
A finite group $\Gamma$ might be represented by a linear transformation
$$\rho : \Gamma\to\mathrm{GL}(\Bbb R^d),$$
or by permutations
$$\phi :\Gamma\to\mathrm{Sym}(n).$$
Of course, latter ones can ...
- 13.6k
9
votes
1
answer
434
views
Questions on the group $\mathrm{GL}(H)$
$\DeclareMathOperator\GL{GL}\DeclareMathOperator\U{U}$Let $H$ be an infinite dimensional complex Hilbert space. Consider the group $\GL(H)$ of bounded invertible operators on $H$.
Question 1. I've ...
- 1,586
9
votes
0
answers
254
views
An identity for characters of the symmetric group
I am looking for a reference for the identity
$$\chi_\lambda(C)=\frac{\dim(V_\lambda)}{|C|}\sum_{p\in P_\lambda,\,q\in Q_\lambda,\,pq\in C}\operatorname{sgn}(q)$$
for the irreducible characters of the ...
- 2,306
8
votes
3
answers
559
views
Reference for tetrahedral Coxeter group
Let $G$ be the group with 4 generators, each of order 2, such that the product of any 2, say $ab$, has order 3 (i.e., $ababab=e$).
That is, this is an infinite reflection group with Coxeter diagram a ...
- 83
8
votes
1
answer
446
views
Radical of $F_p[SL(2,p)]$
Let $G=SL(2,p)$. Does anyone know what is the radical of the group algebra $F_p[G]$?
Does there exists any book/paper where it is calculated?
By radical here I mean maximal ideal I of $F_p[G]$ such ...
- 2,179
8
votes
2
answers
482
views
Parabolics and simple roots for a special unitary group: reference request
I am looking for a reference where the relative root system, the relative system of simple roots, and parabolic $\Bbb R$-subgroups for the real algebraic group ${\rm SU}(p,q)$ are explicitly computed.
...
- 14.1k
8
votes
1
answer
513
views
Equivariant (co)homology of flag manifolds, convolution algebra and nil hecke algebra?
For a complex reductive group $G$ and its Borel subgroup $B$, it seems to be well-known that the equivariant homology group $H^G_*(G/B\times G/B)$ forms a nil-Heck algebra
$$NH=\Bbbk[y_i,\partial_{j}]...
- 719
8
votes
0
answers
545
views
What are the character tables of the finite unitary groups?
I need to know the (complex) character table of the finite unitary group $U_n(q)$. Lusztig and Srinivasan (1977) provide an abstract description, but parsing it requires a stronger background in ...
- 7,633
7
votes
2
answers
780
views
Finite groups with a character having very few nonzero values?
A number theorist I know (who studies Galois representations) raised a question recently:
Which finite groups can have an irreducible character of degree at least 2 having only $n=2, 3$, or 4 ...
- 52.9k
7
votes
2
answers
713
views
Total sum of squares of characters of the symmetric group $\mathfrak{S}_n$
In my earlier MO post, I proposed the double sum $\sum_{\mu\vdash n}\sum_{\lambda\vdash n}\chi_{\mu}^{\lambda}$ regarding characters of the symmetric group $\mathfrak{S}_n$. Soon after, I started ...
- 43.2k
7
votes
1
answer
281
views
Question concerning the coefficients of block idempotents
Let $G$ be a finite group. Let $p$ be a prime number such that $p \mid |G|$.
Let Irr$(G)$ denote the set of ordinary irreducible characters of $G$.
For $\chi\in$ Irr$(G)$ define $e_{\chi} := \frac{\...
- 1,755
7
votes
2
answers
704
views
Reference for nonlinearity of covers of $\operatorname{SL}(2,\mathbb R)$
It is known that no nontrivial connected cover of $\operatorname{SL}(2,\mathbb R)$ admits a faithful finite dimensional linear representation (see, for example, page 143 in Fulton-Harris and Exercise ...
- 1,782
7
votes
1
answer
778
views
Reference for the Brauer-Nesbitt theorem
In Wikipedia's article on the Brauer-Nesbitt theorem, they state that given a group $G$ and a field $E$, two semisimple representations $\rho_1,\rho_2 : G\longrightarrow \operatorname{GL}_n(E)$ are ...
- 7,527
7
votes
1
answer
818
views
Uncertainty principle for non-commutative groups
Is it true that for every group $G$ and $f\in \mathbb C[G]$ it holds that $$\dim(\mathbb C[G]*f)\mathop{supp}(f)\geq |G| ?$$
Here, $\mathbb C[G]$ is the group algebra, and by $\mathbb C[G]*f$ I ...
- 2,179
7
votes
2
answers
301
views
Reference for projective covers of direct products of finite groups?
This concerns one of those "well known" facts, referred to in a recent preprint I've been looking at. In principle it's elementary, but I can't pin down an explicit textbook reference for it. ...
- 52.9k
7
votes
1
answer
237
views
Finite subgroups of $PSU(3)$
I'm looking for a reference to a classification or description of finite subgroups of $SU(3)$ that contain the center, or equivalently $PSU(3)$. Can anyone point me in the right direction?
- 71
6
votes
3
answers
505
views
Irreducible mod-p representation of a semidirect product with trivial p-core
Consider the group $G=H\rtimes{}C$, where $H$ has order prime with $p$ and $C$ is cyclic of order $p^k$, and $C\rightarrow{}\mathrm{Aut}(H)$ is faithful (or equivalently $G$ has trivial $p$-core). ...
- 1,269
6
votes
1
answer
252
views
Is there a known classification of regular multiplicity-free permutation groups?
The question is in the title, but let me clarify the terminology. I consider a permutation group $\Sigma\subseteq\mathrm{Sym}(\Omega)$ on a finite set $\Omega$.
$\Sigma$ is regular if it acts ...
- 13.6k
6
votes
1
answer
186
views
Endomorphism ring of trivial source modules for abelian p-groups
Bernhard Böhmler (who is also on MO) and myself had the following idea:
Let $G$ be a finite group and $k$ a field of characteristic $p$ (algebraically closed when it is needed) such that $p$ divides ...
- 26.5k
6
votes
1
answer
366
views
Group of order $5p^aq^b$
In Lectures by Dan Bump on Modular representation theory,
Theorem 13.14 states that whenever $G$ is a non-abelian simple group of order $|G|=p^aq^br$ for distinct primes $p$,$q$, and $r$, every $r$-...
- 367
6
votes
2
answers
856
views
Algorithm for Brauer lifting via Brauer tree?
Background: Given a finite group $G$ and a prime $p$ dividing its order, Brauer theory compares the ordinary characters of $G$ with the Brauer characters arising from $p$-modular representations. On ...
- 52.9k
6
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Decomposition of semisimple Lie group into almost simple factors
Can anyone suggest a reference that defines or explains that a semisimple real Lie group can be decomposed into a product of almost simple factors? In some papers that I read recently people keep talk ...
- 511
6
votes
1
answer
250
views
Concrete example to illustrate the theory about blocks of groups with cyclic defect groups
I'd like to to have a concrete example to illustrate the theory about blocks of groups with cyclic defect groups.
Thus, I am looking for a finite group $G$ and a prime $p$ dividing $|G|$ satisfying ...
- 1,755